City Council

The City Council is the City's legislative body, with the power to enact and enforce all ordinances and resolutions. Eleven Council Members are elected from districts and five are elected at-large, by all voters of the City.

The sixteen members of Council, along with the Mayor, act only by ordinance, resolution or motion. They adopt and may alter the annual budget and confirm the Mayor's appointments. Council is responsible for the appropriation and issuance of bonds, the awarding of contracts and the approval of City expenditures over $50,000. Council may lease or dispose of the City's real estate and may levy assessments against property. Council determines its own rules of procedure, and its meetings are open to the public.

Sixteen Council Members are elected every two years, in odd-numbered years. Council Members are limited to serving three terms of two years each, with each term beginning on January 2 of the even-numbered year. Five Council Members are elected At-Large, or city-wide, while the other eleven are elected to geographic districts of roughly the same proportion of population.

You can write to your Council Member at: 900 Bagby / City Hall Annex / First Floor / Houston, TX 77002.

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Guidelines for Attending, Speaking, and/or Viewing Houston City Council

The City of Houston City Council agenda is published on Friday afternoon and details the actions that Council will consider at its meeting the following week. Per Houston City’s Charter, Council meets at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday afternoons and 9 a.m. on Wednesday mornings in the Council Chamber on the second floor of City Hall, 901 Bagby, Houston 77002.

The Tuesday session is devoted to public comment. The Wednesday session is for consideration of actions that require Council approval. Be sure to check the Council meeting calendar at www.houstontx.gov/citysec/calendar.pdf since there are scheduled break weeks throughout the year and meetings that are consolidated due to holidays.

Sign up to speak for Tuesday Public Session by calling the City Secretary’s office at 832.393.1100, sending an email to citysecretary@houstontx.gov or coming by the office on the public level of the City Hall Annex, 900 Bagby, Houston 77002 by 1:30 p.m. that Tuesday. Note: If a translator is required, please so advise when reserving time to speak.

Each week’s Council agenda is available to view at www.houstontx.gov/citysec. Under the City Secretary and Other Relevant Links, you’ll find “Agendas, Etc.” Select the first link “Agendas of City Council” for the agenda and the second link “Agenda Backup” for all of the backup information associated with each agenda item.